Welcome to thePHO

thePHO aims to be the largest PHO and direct funder of primary health care services covering all regions of New Zealand. 

High-quality primary health care services are a vital part of our health system. We will be contracted and funded by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora to support accessible, high-quality, viable and sustainable primary health care including New Zealand's essential family doctor services.

thePHO will contract with general practices that are members of the General Practice Owners Association (GenPro).

We believe that well-supported, valued and appropriately resourced general practice benefits patients and their communities and promotes better health care for all New Zealanders. 

Why general practices join thePHO

thePHO offers:

• A PHO which fulfils the minimum requirements of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora’s PHO Services Agreement
• A PHO which is exclusively for general practices that are members of GenPro
• A PHO which aligns with GenPro’s purpose “to promote and enhance the health and wellbeing of all individuals, families and communities within New Zealand”
• A PHO which recognises that the government funding it receives is intended for the benefit of local communities and the general practices which serve them
• A PHO which will provide full transparency (to the extent possible under data protection legislation and contract confidentiality) to general practice contracted providers on the use of funding received through the PHO Services Agreement (PHOSA)
• A PHO which is not-for-profit (charitable status pending), will minimise its infrastructure and management costs, and which will not use general practice funding to develop its own commercial business interests or interests which compete with those general practices it is funded to support.